


Sharp Nails And A Sharper Tongue

by the_albatross



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, Jealousy, References to Drugs, References to weed, nail salon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 07:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18384224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_albatross/pseuds/the_albatross
Summary: An idle comment leads Adore to becoming a regular at Alaska's favorite salon and very quickly Adore comes to understand exactly why Alaska returns to the same technician every month.





	Sharp Nails And A Sharper Tongue

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I talk a lot about what I'm planning with future works and as of late it seems (to me) like what I post doesn't always match what I announced previously...A lot of that quite honestly has to do with various stressors from my job sapping away my motivation to work on certain stories. I have a lot of ideas that I want to create (some old, some new) but right now I'm struggling with having very little motivation to do so. And it seems like I create a fair amount of extra stress for myself by trying to stick to a writing schedule...So I'm gonna try something a little different; even though I want to work on some of my older ideas first since they'd been on my to-do list for awhile, I think I'm just gonna follow where my inspiration takes me at the moment.  
> So the Trixya date is going to take a bit more time to be posted but I am starting to work on it and as for the next piece I'll be actively working on, I'm pretty sure its gonna be the magical girl AU (which will have chapters dedicated to Ravjila, Shalaska, Witney, probably Biadore, and definitely hints of Dela x Jinkx but maybe not a whole chapter unless I can come up with more ideas for them). Rajalaskam is also one that I'm thinking of picking up again in the very near future because I have almost everything mapped out just not written down yet. I'm hoping that writing that one goes quickly since I've spent so much time prepping the plot points already. Thanks to everyone being so patient and supportive while I figure things out!

It started with a simple lazy comment, "I should get my nails done."

Adore was just coming off her buzz from smoking earlier that afternoon and chanced a look down at said nails. There was embarrassingly little left to be seen of the previous polish she used; just a few patches of a hideous pastel green that had been all that she could find the last time she felt the urge to paint them. It was just an idle thought, one she wasn't even sure why she vocalized but it instantly sparked the interest of her last remaining companion from that day's smoke session.

Most everyone else had left over an hour ago at this point, save for Alaska. Part of their routine was that once they were alone, one of them would supply an extra joint of whatever new strain caught their eye that week. Then they'd enjoy the blunt in peace, chatting the day away while they decided on additional plans for that night, mostly revolving around food options. It was a good routine since they hardly got a chance to spend one-on-one time anymore.

But that one single sentence brought Alaska back to life and immediately she was recommending the salon where she gets her own nails done at. Adore hadn't really planned to actually move forward with her idea but seeing the sudden burst of enthusiasm on her friend's face was slowly convincing her...and if she didn't go at least once Alaska probably would give her no rest until she finally made an appointment...or if Adore dared to tell that she wasn't being entirely serious in her statement that could produce one of Alaska's trademark pouts. It was fine when said pout was directed at another person but Alaska had no problem turning it on Adore if there was something she wanted the younger woman to do with or for her.

The blonde was an expert at getting her way after all. It usually meant a good time for everyone involved but she was becoming just a little too skilled with the emotional manipulation for Adore's liking...especially since it often times meant that she was to be forced out of lazy afternoon or a chance to sleep in as of late. Alaska liked to be active and loved to drag her friends along for the ride, no matter how much they just wanted to veg out on the couch and watch bad TV.

Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Adore refocused herself on Alaska's fervent reviews of all of the nail technicians at her salon of choice. Though she listed each one's areas of strengths and drawbacks, Adore couldn't help but notice she had yet to mention one particular worker she was fond of.

"What about the one that does _your_ nails?" she asked with her brow arching ever so slightly.

"Bianca?" Alaska questioned in shock. "Well, yeah, she's there, too. But..."

"'But?'" Adore inquired, now fully intrigued by Alaska's reluctance to recommend her favorite technician.

"She's good, great even. God, she's probably one of the best I've ever had-"

Again Adore repeated, "But?"

"But she's not always the most... _friendly_. Like after awhile when she starts talking, she's really funny but she can also be just...really fucking rude sometimes," the blonde stated in entirely blunt manner.

Alaska's honest review had certainly piqued Adore's curiosity and immediately she was prodding her friend for more information. Nervously scratching the back of her head, Alaska admitted, "It took a couple months before she was okay with me. She never really said much, always just quiet and professional but once she's comfortable with you and starts talking back...her comments can get really pointed and harsh. A lot of it is just directed at random things at the salon but sometimes...she does talk about other people."

It was no surprise to Adore's mind that Alaska would be uncomfortable if the topic flipped to real people, possibly even ones she knows. She never really was one to want to listen to gossip. Adore however, loved to hear it all, even if she never repeated it...at least while sober. Drunk or tipsy Adore could not always be trusted with such information. But at a salon there was little chance of getting a drink any stronger than cheap coffee.

Continuing on, Alaska twiddled with a lock of her hair as she admitted, "She might not be the best choice for your first time there...Maybe start with Alyssa or Latrice, they love to talk! You'd really like them."

Unconvinced, Adore plastered a teasing smirk on her lips and assured her friend, "I think I can handle Bianca if you can. The appointment's only what? Like half an hour? I'll be fine."

******

Approximately 40 minutes after her arrival at the shop, Adore was forced to admit to herself that she was not fine...far from it. Alaska's warnings had been right on the money but the brunette felt like she still hadn't been adequately prepared for what Bianca was actually like. Quiet for the most part, yes. However, Alaska conveniently seemed to forget to mention the constant look of silent judging that had begun from practically the moment she first saw Adore.

The technician seemed to be expecting someone older, more put together as Adore was led to Bianca's station by the receptionist. The look on Bianca's face did nothing to hide her near disappointment with her new client. She almost looked completely fed up or exasperated by the young millennial that had specifically asked for her. And then the second she got a look at Adore's nails?

The young brunette could have sworn she heard the older woman muttering a short prayer. Something along the lines of 'Lord, give me patience.'

Adore wasn't sure at the time what issue Bianca could have had with her nails. She removed the old polish after all. Wasn't that what she was supposed to do?

It was only after confiding in Alaska about the judgemental stare that she was provided some insight. The blonde's eyes darted to Adore's newly manicured nails and instantly a knowing smirk found its way to her lips. In a plain, sympathetic voice she informed the younger woman, "It's because you bite your nails. Bianca hates that."

But all that knowledge would be revealed much later. For now Adore was shifting uncomfortably in her seat, something Bianca certainly did not appreciate. The young woman felt torn between constantly apologizing and wanting to yell at the technician for making her feel so inadequate. In the end she was able to relieve some of the stress by biting her lip as she focused on Bianca's work.

It was fascinating, she had to admit. Alaska hadn't been joking when she said Bianca was one of the best and not just within the shop. Her movements were so precise, so well-practiced. There wasn't a mistake to be seen and of course, she was much faster than Adore expected someone so concerned with quality to be. She made it all look so effortless though Adore could easily recognize how much care and detail went into the finished result.

Bianca's behavior aside, she loved the work the technician had put in and she had to confess; her nails never looked better. Bianca had more than earned Alaska's praise and the hefty tip Adore was intending to leave. Once the final coat of paint was dried Adore couldn't help but to grin down at her nails. She absolutely loved what she saw, from the filed tips right to the glossy shade of violet she chose. Turning her eyes up to the technician as she began to clean up, Adore shot off a bright smile and murmured a sincere, "Thanks!"

Bianca looked stunned for about half a second, blinking in something almost akin to confusion before quickly regaining her composure. She returned a small grin of her own and muttered, "Anytime," before swiftly returning to preparing her station for the next client.

Something about the behavior warmed Adore's heart and she couldn't help but think that maybe Bianca wasn't as much of a hard-ass as she first thought. But reality soon set in and she knew she shouldn't dawdle any longer than necessary unless she truly wanted to annoy Bianca again. So she simply left her tip at the corner of Bianca's table and took her leave to the receptionist's desk to pay for the rest of the service.

That night as she showed off her newly painted nails to Alaska, the blonde asked her a surprising question; one she hadn't really considered yet that day.

"You gonna go back?"

"Yeah," she mused with a lazy grin as she admired her nails, "I think I will."

*******

About a month passed between appointments until the gaps between the edge of the polish and Adore's nail beds were quite visible. Hardly a second thought ran through her mind as she called the salon to book her next visit. After answering the usual questions of 'Have you been here before?', 'What day and time were you thinking of coming in?', and 'What are you looking to get done?', the receiptist asked one final question that left Adore's heart racing just a bit too much for her taste; "Who would you like to see?"

There was a slight pause before Adore affirmed, "Bianca."

Less than a minute later she was on the books for an appointment on Thursday afternoon with the salon's premier temperamental technician. The day of she was left anxiously fiddling with her hair in the waiting area until the receptionist was ready to guide her back to the work stations. She hadn't really expected Bianca to remember her, not when she was still just a newcomer and Bianca already had so many other clients, but the look of mild surprise once she saw Adore did please her more than she would have suspected. There was just a tinge of relief in her voice as she noted in a somewhat abrupt manner, "You're back."

"You do good work," Adore replied politely as she took her seat.

The small proud smile Bianca wore confirmed that that was probably the best answer Adore could have given. The technician nodded her head as thanks and instructed the young brunette to pick out her next shade. Settling on a deep red, Adore handed over the bottle of polish and the two quickly fell back into their new routine. This time around Adore felt more at ease with Bianca, enough that her fidgeting had died down considerably. She didn't quite dare to try to make small talk but the silence was still comfortable enough for her. Watching Bianca work was its own form of entertainment and if the technician didn't feel comfortable speaking just yet she wouldn't force it.

However by the next appointment Adore's curiosity couldn't be withheld any longer and she made the first of a few cautious inquiries to the older woman. She began with a simple, "How long have you been doing this?"

"Eight years next month," came the blunt reply.

That was probably the most they had spoken thus far but it wouldn't be the last.

With every new visit Adore would ask one more question than she had during her previous appointment. Each time Bianca would answer with an unexpected amount of patience but after Adore had worked her way up to five inquires in one day, the technician finally relented and began asking questions of her own as well.

After only two more visits, they left the standard small talk aside and began discussing things of actual interest to them. By this time Adore could see that Alaska's assessment of Bianca was right on the money; she could be quite sarcastic, pretty much to the point of being rude but it was in a manner that was usually quite hilarious. Her deadpan or off-color comments typically left Adore cracking up until the older woman was silently glaring at her so she'd sit still. It was too bad that the glares eventually stopped working on the brunette all together. After awhile she would shoot back a baiting smirk almost as if she was daring the older woman with the old classic of 'Make me.'

More than once Bianca would arch her brow at the challenge but within seconds Adore would give in and allow Bianca to continue her work uninterrupted. She had to admit, she liked the fact that Bianca wasn't inclined to go easy on her; if Adore was acting like a brat, Bianca had no problem letting her know. She would however, make it a point to follow up her teasing with a small smile just to reassure the young woman that she was only joking.

Over time Adore found herself admitting that she'd never thought she'd like Bianca as much as she did. Her now scheduled monthly visits soon became the highlight of her week, especially since the technician had actually taken to coming out to get her from the waiting room in person. It was quite a shock the first time it happened but Adore didn't dare to comment on it, either to Bianca nor even to Alaska. In all the time she had been coming to the salon, she never saw any of the technicians escorting their clients to their work station; it was always the receptionist that would lead them there. But then again Bianca always did seem to be one to march to the beat of her own drum, as evidenced by the fact that she never really seemed inclined to act overly friendly like the other employees of the shop. She was talented and she knew it. She had more than enough returning customers that the managers of shop seemed content to simply let her do as she pleased so long as she continued to turn them a profit.

But still that extra effort made Adore feel special and even sharing it with Alaska would almost taint that so for now she left as her own little secret. Try as she might though, she often couldn't stop herself from gushing over how her latest appointment went. For her part the older blonde listened patiently with an amused smile and a knowing glint in her eyes. The most she would usually say on the matter was a pleased, "I'm glad you like her."

And like her, Adore certainly did. She wouldn't trade her appointments for _anything_.

Things continued on this way until about midway through one of their usual chats Bianca suddenly asked, "What made you decide to come here in the first place?"

Of course even after knowing her for only a few months now, Adore knew she meant 'Why did you pick me?'

A considering smile grew across her lips as she recalled the smoke session and careless comment that led to her becoming a regular at the salon until she finally answered with a simple statement of, "You came _highly_ recommended."

Bianca let out a scoff of disbelief as she continued her work and waited silently until Adore was willing to provide further elaboration. In true Adore fashion, her secretiveness only lasted about 40 seconds before she followed up with, "Seriously though, you did come recommended...kind of. Alaska always raves your work whenever she-"

"Alaska?" Bianca interrupted in confusion. It wasn't often that she could remember her client's names but she felt certain a unique one like that would have stuck out more.

"Tall?" Adore described, "Really toned but kinda clumsy sometimes? Smiles and laughs a lot and...um, long blonde-"

"Wait..." Bianca mused as she paused in her work for a second. The name and description was starting to ring a bell until finally a hazy image began to form in her mind. A brief look of exasperation and defeat passed across the technician's face as she questioned, "Was she the one that always had me gluing random shit to her nails?"

"That's her!" the brunette confirmed with a proud smile.

"Oh, my god!" Bianca muttered with an eye roll. "I can't tell you how relieved I was when she finally stopped asking for that bullshit...I ran out of ideas one time and just used leftovers from the other kits we had lying around...And she still loved it!"

"No accounting for taste," Adore agreed with an affectionate smile despite the light jab at her friend.

Grumbling, Bianca added in as she resumed her work, "I don't know how she managed to do _anything_ with all that shit hanging off her nails. I've seen her once or twice with her hair tangled in everything before she was even out the door! My god, I don't even want to imagine what those nails would feel like running across your skin."

A shiver passed through the technician as she remembered all of the times her clients had accidentally scratched her as she worked on their manicures even when they weren't stiletto-sized like Alaska's. It wasn't usually a pleasant experience but still one that happened all too frequently with her job. Just another occupational hazard.

"Yeah," Adore drawled out with a reminiscent grin as all of Alaska's mishaps with her nails played on a loop in her mind. Remembering a past conversation with Alaska's girlfriend, she threw in a careless comment of "Well, lucky for her, she's a bit of a pillow princess in bed...But at least she's up to try pretty much anything so long as it won't mess up her nails though."

There was immediate pause on Bianca's part as the words fell from Adore's lips. Her fingers wrapped around Adore's hand were trembling noticeably for a few seconds until Bianca was able to get a hold of herself. Casting her eyes back to her work, she let out a near emotionless utterance of "Oh."

Following that comment a clear wave of tension filled the room and neither woman dared to speak much for the remainder of the appointment. Not that Adore didn't try but after a few attempts to restart the conversation were met with blunt and even borderline harsh responses, she soon gave up and felt a growing cloud of misery hanging over her. She wasn't sure what caused the sudden change in Bianca's behavior nor how she should apologize for it so she just kept quiet. It was the first time in months that they had spent more than ten minutes without exchanging some kind of conversation with one another.

In an unceremoniously abrupt ending, Bianca finished her work and instantly began cleaning her station for the next customer. Over the last few visits she had made it a point to wait until Adore had left so they they might talk for a few additional minutes but today she seemed to have no interest in encouraging the brunette to stay any longer than necessary. The actions hurt Adore more than she thought it should have but she couldn't bring herself to try and speak to Bianca again, apart from thanking her for another job well done.

As usual she left her tip at the corner of Bianca's station and slunk out to the front of the shop to pay for the remainder of the service. When asked if she wanted to set up her next appointment awhile, she faltered for just a moment before ultimately deciding to schedule ahead as she would normally. Perhaps by her next visit Bianca would be back to her usual self and this whole thing would blow over like nothing had ever happened...

*******

For the first time since Adore had begun visiting the shop, she hadn't gossiped about her appointment with Alaska once she got home. She didn't want to dwell on the awkward end to her visit and Alaska seemed to sense that something had not gone quite right between Adore and her technician. Though the brunette could tell Alaska wanted to try to help, Adore just wasn't sure how to even explain what had happened or why it left her feeling so miserable. But to her gratitude, Alaska didn't push the subject, she simply reassured Adore that if she wanted to vent, she'd be there to listen.

Adore thanked her as she always would have but deep down she knew she had no intention of discussing the visit's events with anyone...at least not until Alaska came back from her latest appointment with a worried look on her face. When she showed up unexpectedly at Adore's apartment, it was easy to see that she was upset by how her appointment had progressed but mostly she was just incredibly confused by everything. Adore had known well ahead of time about Alaska's upcoming visit and debated giving her some kind of warning but ultimately she had decided against it. Part of her reasoned that Bianca was a professional and whatever issue was happening between the two of them wouldn't carry over to another client...seems she was quite mistaken with that thought.

Completely ignoring all sense of tact and subtlety, Alaska asked point blank what had happened between the pair the last time they saw each other. Adore was somewhat coy with her answer, still not fully understanding why there was a sudden 180 to Bianca's behavior but she still remained convinced that whatever it was had pretty much been entirely her fault...and no trace of her wanted to admit that to Alaska nor did she want to repeat the comment she had made that had probably caused this whole mess. All the same she still felt awful that her stupid mistake was now affecting Bianca and Alaska's working relationship.

Very cautiously, Adore inquired if Bianca had said anything directly to Alaska that might provide some kind of insight as to why she suddenly became so irritated with both of them rather than just Adore. To her disappointment, Alaska only gave a distressed reply of "No, she...she just seemed angry and cold and distant the whole time...she hasn't been like that with me for years. I don't know what changed or why."

Whatever it was, Adore knew she had to apologize, at least for Alaska's sake. If she wanted to, she could always find another technician or even another shop for her manicure but Alaska loved that salon and their employees far more than Adore did. The very last thing the brunette wanted to do was make Alaska's presence in the shop awkward or uncomfortable because she had done something careless that offended one of the technicians.

Almost immediately after Alaska left her apartment to mull over her troubling visit, Adore called the salon to reschedule her appointment. It had barely been two weeks since she was last there but she needed some excuse to see Bianca and speak with her. The fact that she was a regular did help the rescheduling process. Normally the receptionist probably would have been less accommodating but upon seeing the familiar name pop up, she was quite willing to move the appointment to the next available time slot. Granted it was much earlier in the day than Adore usually liked to wake up but if she could fix things for Alaska and maybe even herself, it'd be more than worth it.

********

Only three days later, Adore arrived at the shop for one of the very first appointments of the day. As she waited for her turn she held a small hope that Bianca would come out to greet her like she'd done in the past but unfortunately it was the receptionist that led her to Bianca's station. Adore tried to not let her expression show just how unhappy she was at the small gesture, or rather lack of on Bianca's part, and quietly took her seat across from the technician.

Instead of their usual warm exchange of greetings, Bianca coldly asked her to pick her shade from the selection of polish. It hardly mattered to Adore what color she'd wear for the next month so merely chose whichever caught her eye first. Wordlessly, Bianca began her work and the only sound filling the room for the longest time was the light pop music playing across the speakers and the dull chatter from other technicians as they waited for their own clients to arrive.

Despite how much she ached inside to apologize, Adore just couldn't bring herself to vocalize any actual words. It all felt so clumsy and insincere whenever she tried to think of a segue into the discussion she longed to start. She wished she had prepared herself more for this because now it felt like she had just made everything worse somehow. She was all but biting her lip as she searched her mind for something, just anything to say.

Every so often Bianca's eyes would drift from her work and up to meet Adore's own worried ones. The contact would barely last a second but there was a growing look of guilt on Bianca's face with each new glance. A near silent sigh escaped her, as she mentioned in defeat, "You stopped biting your nails."

Absently Adore nodded her head, thankful that some kind of conversation had begun, and confirmed in a small voice, "Yeah...Alaska said that you hated when people do that."

At once Bianca's hardened expression returned and very clearly she was biting the interior of her lip to keep herself from spitting out some scathing remark. She quickly huddled in on herself in a mock attempt at looking as though she were concentrating on her task but it was obvious that the last place she wanted to be right now was across from Adore.

The brunette's throat constricted as she realized almost immediately that even mentioning Alaska's name was probably one of the worst things she could have done at that point. She had to actively fight against her instincts of pulling back her hand and just ending the appointment then and there. A familiar burning sensation was beginning to prick at the corner of her eyes but she forced herself to stay put. She needed to do this, she reasserted to herself. If she chickened out now, she'd probably never be able to face Bianca again...and even if she failed, at least she would know she tried...

Her voice came out weak and hesitant in a manner almost unknown to her as she called out, "Um...hey...Bianca?"

With a stony expression, Bianca stopped her work and looked up at the young woman with something just short of a glare in her eyes. Adore's tongue felt heavy and dry as she pushed herself to apologize, "Listen, I'm really sorry for what I said last time...That had really crossed a line..."

Bianca let out a sarcastic noise of agreement and returned to finish her job but immediately her hands paused once again as she heard Adore's shameful confession of, "I was trying to be funny and repeated what her girlfriend told me but-"

"Girlfriend?" she interrupted in an abrupt and unexpected state of confusion. Her brows furrowed together as she said reproachfully, "I thought _you_ were her-"

"What? No!" Adore squeaked out as her eyes grew wide and shocked in response to Bianca's assumptions. She could feel her face beginning to heat up even as she declared firmly, "We're just friends, we-you!"

A moment of pure clarity finally struck Adore and even more so she felt her cheeks beginning to burn. A smile that seemed caught somewhere between ecstatic and relieved stretched across her lips as she almost shouted in realization, " _That's_ why you were acting so bitchy, wasn't it? You were-"

For the first time Adore could recall, a blush rose to Bianca's cheeks as she hastily denied, "No, I wasn't."

Entirely unconvinced, Adore allowed herself to be consumed by a sense of overwhelming joy as she argued excitedly with the technician, "You _were_! You were totally jealous!"

"Fuck off, I was not," Bianca rebutted defensively as all sense of professionalism and decorum seemed to be thrown out the window. She couldn't even pretend that she could look Adore in the eye at the moment and instead ordered her client, "Shut up and let me finish your nails."

Settling down somewhat, Adore didn't even try to hide the victorious smirk that had overtaken her face as she remarked with sense of pride and finality, "You _were_ jealous."

Bianca spent the remainder of the appointment annoyed and practically grumbling as she tried to will away the unwanted color that had spread across her cheeks. Adore herself sat smug but thankfully silent as Bianca sped through the remainder of her work as though her life depended on it. Every time Bianca dared to look up, she found Adore already watching her with a disgustingly satisfied and overly confident glint in her eyes.

Once her client's nails were finally dried, Bianca immediately recused herself to the employee break room. The other technicians' eyes wandered closely after her but none dared to actually follow her beyond the doorway. Adore for one was far from offended, she actually found it somewhat adorable that a woman who typically seemed so composed and in control of herself had to rush off in embarrassment while her face cooled down. There was something charmingly vulnerable about the behavior, particularly now that she finally understood why Bianca had acted so moodily during Adore and Alaska's last visits.

Snatching up one of Bianca's pens and business cards from her station, Adore wrote a short note on the back of the card and left it laying in a painfully obvious position on top of her tip. She still wore a smirk as she paid for the service at the front desk and scheduled her next appointment for the following month. As much as she wanted to proudly shout it from the rooftop she bit back any vocalization indicating that she was sure she'd be seeing the technician again much sooner than that.

Almost as if to prove her point, nearly the second she entered her car, she felt her phone vibrating with a new alert. The message was blank and originated from a number not yet saved in her phone but Adore had little doubt as to who just contacted her. A wide grin that she couldn't even try to contain broke out across her lips as she typed back, 'Hey, B.'

A mere 5 seconds passed before a second alert popped up on her screen, 'You said to text you.'

Adore rolled her eyes as she quickly replied, 'Yeah, but it looks like you forgot the text part in that first message.'

'Cocky little brat,' swiftly populated in the newest text bubble but only a second after Adore began chuckling at the light jab, a fourth message came through; one that erased any sort of smart-ass remark she was inclined to type back, 'My shift ends at 6...Want to get something to eat after that?'

Adore's confirmation was sent back almost immediately and as she waited for further details from the temperamental technician, Adore found herself thinking that more than any other appointment she had with Bianca in the past; this upcoming one was undoubtedly the one she was looking forward to the most.


End file.
